


Long-suffering Erestor and the Lucky Bottle

by positively_dashed



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Romance, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-08-19 22:51:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8227454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/positively_dashed/pseuds/positively_dashed
Summary: I came across a set of AU prompts and this one just jumped out at me: ‘My water bottle wouldn’t open so I threw it and it hit you’ AUSo have this crack it made me write, because that is exactly what happens, plus some sauce :))Rating may(will) go up.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I think there will be another chapter or two to this. However, I’m going for a rather long holiday to the far-off lands next week, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to write. That stands for my other fic (The Soothface) as well. I will try to post one more chapter, but I don’t know if I can make it, before I leave. Please think of me that I return safely from my travels :)

If there was some dark deity playing havoc with people’s lives, Erestor felt it must have reserved this day to focus solely on him. 

He nearly came late to work, because he had to prepare and dress up for a committee meeting, which Elrond ‘somehow’ forgot to mention got ‘somehow’ cancelled. His assistant came down with flu, and the secretary seemed to have taken an unplanned holiday. Because why not, the end of the month was nigh and why not let Erestor finish the accounts. Also the copy machine had it in for him. It hated him with a vengeance, and he only just managed to finish the financial statement in time because of its antics. 

Arriving only slightly late, he breezed through both of his lessons, and then had no time to get a single bite to eat.

Elrond was in one of his moping moods, but that was one thing Erestor could never make himself blame him for. Still, it meant confused answers to important questions, delays of urgent paperwork and generally even more work for him. 

During the afternoon his mind started feeling like the neurons got all tangled together. And out of the blue the secretary arrived, in shoes so obviously new and nails so freshly polished it hurt Erestor’s eyes, claiming she had gone to see the doctor and that the director had been told about it, of course.

He had to get out of there, or something bad might happen. He needed fresh air. It meant he would have to work overnight, or very late tomorrow. He did not care.

With shoulders slumped he walked down the path by the river trying to wind down. In one hand he held his crammed briefcase and in the other he was crushing a water bottle he had grabbed off of his table before dashing out. He only realized that now and stopped to take a drink to perhaps appease the headache he felt was fast approaching from too much stress and not nearly enough to drink or eat.

But that eru-damned bottle would not open. Of course it wouldn’t. Because the lord of all things evil had obviously decided it would be fun to completely fuck him over today.

He didn’t know what came over him. He must have just finally snapped, because he hurled that eru-forsaken bottle with all his might towards the river. And then he watched with morbid fascination how it flew, as if in slow motion… in a completely wrong direction. Of course it would.

There was a shocked grunt and a curse. The bottle hit a man, who was standing by the railing, right in the temple and then bounced off falling into the river with a little splash.

Erestor’s hand flew over his mouth, he nearly dropped his briefcase. Things like this did NOT happen to him. He recovered quickly, though, and run to the man.

"I am sorry, sir. I am so sorry. I never meant to hit you."

The man was looking at him uncomprehendingly and pressed one big hand to the side of his head. He was on the whole rather big. And blond, very blond.

"Are you alright? Have I hurt you?" Erestor inquired apologetically and reached to touch the man’s arm, but he immediately drew his hand back when he realized what he was doing. The guy really was huge, almost a head taller that Erestor. Luckily he did not look pissed off. Well… yet. Only surprised.

"No, I'm fine,” the giant finally spoke in a deep but melodious voice. “I just might have a bump there." 

Erestor exhaled in relief.

"I mean, why are you throwing bottles at people?"

"I... It... I couldn't open it...," started Erestor and the blond gave him a funny look.

"I guess my nerves just finally gave out. I've had a crap day. I don't mean to excuse myself. I really am sorry for hitting you."

"That's alright. I quite understand. Though I think I could have opened it for you, had you asked," the man quipped with a smile.

Looking at him, he definitely could have opened the bottle. With those bear paws of his he would be able to open… well, anything. Erestor tore himself from inspecting the man’s massive biceps and looked instead over the railing after his water bottle, which was now happily bobbing in the river, as if it were laughing at him. How was it even afloat, it should have sunk!

The blonde followed his look. "Guess you won’t get a drink from that anymore. What would you say to a coffee?"

"Oh... That would be really nice. But I am buying, that's the least I can do."

The blond nodded cheerfully. 

“By the way, I’m Fin.”

Erestor took the offered hand and shook it. It was warm, calloused and… big. 

“Pleased. I am Erestor.” 

He was suddenly glad he had dressed smart because of that stupid meeting...


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, you persuaded me. Here goes another bit :)

“You know, I actually had a rather crappy day myself,” said Fin when they seated themselves in a cosy little coffee shop across the street.

“And I made it even better by hitting you with that bottle,” Erestor pulled a guilty face.

“Don’t worry about it. I happen to know for sure that my skull is hard to break. Also, you've indeed made my day better when you agreed to have coffee with me.”

Erestor might have blushed, but maybe it was just a trick of light. The trick of the same light that made Fin’s hair shine golden. Luckily a waitress saved Erestor from further embarrassing himself by coming to take their order.

“So, what do you do for living, Erestor?” his blond companion asked.

Erestor nearly blurted it out, but then caught himself, because where would be the fun in that. “What do you think I do?”

“Hm, let’s see. Smart suit, dress shoes, leather briefcase, unobtrusive but stylish glasses, conservative haircut. I would say a lawyer? Or maybe a businessman.”

Erestor couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing, “No!”

Fin’s eyebrows drew together, “No? What then?”

“I’m a highschool teacher.”

The light brown eyebrows shot up. The eyes under them were so blue, so wonderfully blue like summer sky. Erestor cleared his throat and dropped his own traitorous eyes towards the salt shaker. 

“Well, it’s a private academy, but it’s basically the same thing. I’m also the director’s deputy and a general dogsbody. You?” he risked lifting his gaze back to his criminally attractive companion. That rogue was smiling at him cheekily. He knew. Of course he knew. With such looks he must be used to people slobbering over him.

“You try to guess too.”

For a moment Erestor let his gaze unashamedly glide over Fin’s face and upper body, returning the scrutiny Fin had put him through earlier. 

“Your nose doesn’t appear to ever have been broken, so probably not a rugby player, or anything of that sort. You could possibly be a gym instructor,” Erestor’s gaze slid to a clearly visible scar near Fin’s collarbone. That T-shirt had an awfully low neckline. “Or a soldier.”

Fin hummed and nodded. “You’re actually right, but …”

Erestor waited patiently, seeing Fin worry his lip with his teeth. His smile disappeared.

“… It seems I won’t do any more soldiering, in the near future at least.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, well, that’s the crap part of my day. I… I came here for my results from the medical board, and it turns out that they don’t want me anymore. I’m grounded and on indeterminate leave starting today,” Fin clicked his tongue and for a moment Erestor was allowed to see how sad exactly this news made the giant blond feel.

“So I might actually become a gym instructor,” Fin grinned self-deprecatingly in the end. “So, tell me about your crap day, or I might descend into a pit of self-pity, and nobody wants that.”

They ended up having two coffees and a sandwich and cake each, and going for a walk by the river. Erestor got over his initial shyness unexpectedly quickly. Fin was an entertaining companion, intelligent and funny in a brutally honest way, and not a bit the macho green brain Erestor had presumed all soldiers to be.

They were passing the place where Erestor made his fateful throw, laughing about it, when somewhere closeby a motorcycle backfired. Fin started so violently that he took a step back, collided with Erestor and nearly knocked him down. Erestor caught himself on the railing and stared bewildered at the blond, who stood there with chest heaving and muscles visibly tensed.

“Hey. Hey, you alright?”

Passersby were giving them looks and Fin took a moment to answer.

“Not really it seems. Guess the medical board know their job after all.”

Erestor realized he had a hand on Fin’s shoulder, but it didn’t seem like the other minded, so he left it there until he was sure the ex-soldier was recovered enough from his little episode. Fin was avoiding his eyes now. He probably wanted to be somewhere else entirely. 

“Do you live somewhere around here?” Erestor asked him quietly.

“No, I’m only visiting. Came this morning for the results and some paperwork. I was actually about to look for a hotel when we bumped into each other. Could you perhaps recommend something in the vicinity?”

Erestor looked at him. That poor big man still looked shaken and quite a bit embarrassed.

“Sorry, I don’t really know any hotels here, never needed to use one.”

“Oh. Well then, I’ll just…”

“... but I live two streets from here, and there’s a sofabed in my livingroom...”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, it seems this will have more than three chapters.

III.

Oh, eru-be-damned, what was he doing? He had just let a complete stranger into his home, a stranger who could snap him like a twig without breaking a sweat. What was he doing? 

Maybe it was the fact that the said stranger did not feel like a stranger anymore, and that he certainly didn’t look like he would want to go about snapping people like twigs, at least for the moment.

He sat Fin to the kitchen table and set about making him tea. He looked like he needed it. The giant blond sat silently, his eyes pensively roaming over Erestor’s modestly equipped kitchen.

“Here you go. Make yourself at home. I’ll be back in a moment,” said Erestor handing him a steaming mug of chamomile.

“Thank you,” Fin murmured quietly. His smile gave Erestor butterflies, even though it was rather sad.

Erestor quickly changed from his suit into the most presentable house clothes he owned and returned to the kitchen. Fin was exactly where he had left him, staring into his mug of tea.

“Are you hungry? I was actually planning to cook something tonight. Nothing fancy, just pasta with whatever I find in the fridge,” Erestor tried lightening up the mood. “Well, that might have sounded a bit unappetizing...”

Fin looked up, “It sounds just as appetizing as whatever you have in the fridge.” 

Erestor laughed, only a little bit nervously, wondering what he did have in the fridge.

“Thank you, Erestor. A dinner would be great if it’s not too much trouble,” Fin continued.

“Any dislikes or allergies?”

“Not really.”

“Good. Let’s see, then.”

His fridge gave a variety of ingredients to choose from, because luckily he had managed to go shopping only the day before. 

During the cooking Fin seemed to be gradually returning to his earlier self, even cracking a few corny jokes. It was quite late when they finished eating and cleaned up. Fin yawned mightily and shook his head, making the messy golden bun on his head nearly shake loose. He looked like a lion. Erestor averted his eyes guiltily.

“So, does your offer of a sofa for a weary traveller still stand?”

“Of course. I’ll get some blankets and you can use the shower in the meantime if you want. The towels on the brown cabinet are clean,” said Erestor lightly, trying not to imagine what his bathroom walls would see what he would really really like to see as well. Ugh, something was seriously wrong with him today. Maybe it was all the stress at work getting to him.

Fin nodded and bounced away and Erestor tore his gaze from the door that closed behind him and went about preparing the sofa. He silently congratulated himself for not only having the foresight to shop for groceries but also for having kicked himself to stuff all the dirty laundry into the laundry basket the day before.

When he was putting the finishing touches to the bedding he heard a door open behind him. 

“You seem to be having visitors often that you keep all this in stock,” rumbled Fin’s voice.

“Not really, not for some time. My friend used to sleep here often after his wife died.” 

“Oh. Cancer?”

“What? No. She was… She was killed… in a mugging...” whispered Erestor. The memory was extremely painful not only for Elrond, even after the years that had passed since then.

“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to...”

Erestor got up from straightening the sheet and looked into the sun-tanned face of his guest.

“It happened several years ago but I think one doesn’t really get over something like this.”

Fin nodded solemnly, “Indeed.” He sighed looking into Erestor’s eyes. “Erestor, on this note, I believe there’s one thing I should warn you about. I… I have nightmares sometimes. If that happens, please don’t come near me and don’t try to wake me. I could hurt you.”

_He could snap me like a twig._ Erestor gulped.

“If you want me to leave, I understand.”

Erestor smiled wryly and shook his head. “It seems this sofa is destined for troubled people. I hope you sleep well, though.”

“Thank you. Good night to you too.”

When Erestor exited the bathroom a while later, his living room was dark and quiet, his blond guest burrowed under the blankets and quite possibly asleep already. Erestor himself lay awake for some time, thinking about the day and about the man on his sofa. The papers he wanted to finish were still crammed in his briefcase. Oh well, life just got in the way of paperwork today. What a nice change. Usually it was the other way around.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for my long absence. I suffered some kind of brain-hibernation over winter and couldn't seem to get over a writer's block. So to celebrate the first day of spring, have a tiny little new chapter :)

IV.

Erestor hit his alarm clock and buried his face in the pillow. No, not yet. Please, not yet.

Then something niggled at his sleepy consciousness... 

Oh right, he had a stranger in his flat. So maybe he really should get up.

And so he did. Grabbing a bathrobe on his way, he tiptoed into the livingroom to find it…

… exactly as he left it yesterday, including the blond dream on his sofa. 

The day before Fin’s hair had been tied into a messy bun. Over the night, however, his hair-tie seemed to have given up on it’s miserable existence and Fin’s hair was all over the pillow. How long was it, really? The rays of early morning sun were turning it into streams and rivers of molten honey, and Erestor stared. 

“See anything you like?” one and then the other blue eye cracked open and the corner of Fin’s mouth lifted in a lopsided smile.

Erestor found enough courage not to look away, but he suspected his face was red like a ripe tomato, which certainly couldn't have been a very nice sight.

“Yes, actually…”

Fin smiled at him brightly and they looked into each other’s eyes, before Erestor cowardly averted his back to the golden mane.

“I have never seen a guy with hair like yours. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman with hair like yours either.”

Fin wiggled his light brown eyebrows, “My nickname is Goldilocks, Captain Goldilocks.” 

“That’s actually extremely unoriginal,” Erestor chuckled to shake off his nervousness. “Slept well?”

“Yes. Yes I have,” Fin stretched and sat up. The curtain of golden waves spread over his shoulders.

Erestor’s fingers twitched. He longed to bury them in that wonderful mane. He had always had a hair kink, or whatever that was. Just the obsession with gothic and metal bands in his youth was pretty telling. This was torture. How had he deserved this? Oh, right. He hit the poor guy with a bottle, so this was the payback. At least he didn’t seem to have a visible bruise anywhere... Erestor cleared his throat, “Good. Eggs for breakfast?”

“Yes, and I’ll make them if you allow me. It’s the only meal I know how to cook, but at least I do it quite well... in my humble opinion, that is. Oh yeah, and army rations, I can heat up an MRE like a pro!”

Erestor didn’t really know how difficult or not it was to cook army rations, or how it compared to making scrambled eggs, but he wouldn’t argue about anyone offering to make him breakfast. How long was it since anyone made him breakfast? It was his mother probably. Before she found out he was dating a classmate who happened to be male. There were no more breakfasts after that. 

“As you wish. It’s been years since anyone made me breakfast.” 

Oh… He really did not need to say that last bit aloud, did he? Hopeless, that’s what he was. Did they sell some brain-to-mouth filters? Because ugh. He could at least stop staring. Fin was smiling at him in a terrifyingly knowing way, or maybe it was just his imagination. Could this guy be straight? Straight guys got offended if somebody stared at them like he had just been doing, and it wasn’t a woman, right? Or was Fin just really narcissistic? 

“You’ve made me dinner, so it’s only just I do the breakfast,” said Fin and got up.

“OK. You know where everything is, so I’ll just go prepare for work. Be back in a few,” Erestor turned and practically run for his bedroom. 

*

Their conversation over the plates of fantastic scrambled eggs was surprisingly mundane.

“What are your plans for today, Fin?”

“I still need to take care of some paperwork. Everything else will depend on that. Yours?”

“Try to beat some math and chemistry into teenage kids, do paperwork, shout at the secretary, apologize to the director, not necessarily in that order. Hopefully manage lunch in between.”

“Could I count on your sofa for one more night? It was rather comfortable.”

“Of course. I should have spare keys somewhere.” What the hell, Erestor, you want trouble that badly?

“Oh no. I can’t ask that of you. I’ll just go and come back in the evening, if that’s alright, if you still want me here.”

Erestor smiled nervously. He really was a bit too eager to keep Fin’s company for as long as he could. 

“OK, so at about seven here.”

“Roger.”

~


End file.
